Cloud computing and other distributed computing systems allow resource providers to offer computing resources for use by others over a network. For example, a resource provider may host a web-based application for a business, and enable use of the web-based application over the Internet. Furthermore, some companies have organizational distributed computing systems in which employees or departments may be able to request and use computing resources of the distributed computing system.
Often, however, there is mismatch between the size and shape of demands from customers of the cloud infrastructure and the size and shape of the deployed physical infrastructure to fulfill those customers' demands. Thus, a provider of cloud computing services must efficiently shape the demand to fit the shape of the deployed physical infrastructure and sometimes scale the cloud based infrastructure over time to meet the demands of its customers.